When performing eye surgery, it may be necessary to hold back the upper and lower eyelids by way of an eye speculum. Such an eye speculum may comprise a two-armed instrument with an adjusting device for finely adjusting the angle of one arm with respect to the other. Additionally, such an eye speculum has a retractor or blade at the distal end of each arm that may comprise a scoop-shaped piece in cross-section. Each scoop is inscribed around and under a respective eyelid, and the eye speculum holds the eyelids back when the adjusting device is adjusted to open the angle between the arms. Normally, an eye speculum is designed and employed such that pressure is not exerted on the eyeball since pressure tends to distort the eyeball. Moreover, excessive pressure may cause protrusion of the ocular contents and thereby complicate intraocular surgery.
When performing certain surgical procedures on the eye which do not involve opening the eyeball, it is preferable to proprose the eyeball outwardly to expose more of the surface of and allow greater access to the eyeball. An example of such a surgical procedure is an automated lamellar keratectomy (ALK), where a relatively large vacuum fixation ring is applied to the front surface of the eyeball. As may be understood, the application of the ring is more easily performed when greater exposure of the front surface of the eyeball is provided.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a surgical instrument that safely and easily proproses the eyeball outwardly to allow greater access to the exposed surface of the eyeball during eye surgery.